THE HAGUE - The Netherlands will not condemn Israel for breaking ties
with the UN Human Rights Council, the Dutch minister for European
Affairs and International Cooperation said on Wednesday.

The Dutch cabinet intends to wait for the Israeli government’s
official statement on the issue due sometime next week, Minister Ben
Knapen said in replying to a parliamentary query.

Knapen went on to criticize the council’s proposed fact-finding
mission on settlements. “In comparison with other such missions, we
think the mission to Israel was disproportionate,” he added.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman announced Israel would no longer
cooperate with the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, after the
council passed a resolution to launch a probe into how Israel´s West
Bank settlements may be infringing on Palestinians´ rights.

Knapem was asked whether the cabinet intended to criticize Israel
together with other EU countries, in a query by Frans Timmermans, an
MP for the Dutch Labor.

In his reply, Knapen said the council singled Israel out for
criticism. During the last six years, the council saw the passing of
43 resolutions against Israel compared to five against Syria.

The Dutch daily Reformatorisch Dagblad reported Raymond De Roon of
the Party for Freedom and Joel Voordewind of the ChristenUnie party
inquired whether the Netherlands might itself leave the Council.